# 末

| 末 | U+672B, &#26411; CJK UNIFIED IDEOGRAPH-672B |
| ← 未 [U+672A] | CJK Unified Ideographs | 本 → [U+672C] |

## Translingual
### Han character

末 (Kangxi radical 75, 木+1, 5 strokes, cangjie input 木十 (DJ), four-corner 5090$_0$, composition ⿻一木)

#### Derived characters

* 𠇱, 𠖾, 𠰌, 𡊉, 妺, 帓, 𢗿, 抹, 沫, 𠅒, 昩, 枺, 𣧣, 㶬, 䏞, 皌, 𤿗, 眜, 砞, 𥘯, 秣, 袜, 粖, 𥿉(𬘚), 䍪, 𮋥, 𦥦, 𬟼, 𮘀, 𧿴, 𮠢, 𱋊, 𣔍, 𫈪, 𣖛, 𫖀, 靺, 韎, 䬴, 𩠿, 𩢖, 䱅(𱇚), 䴲, 𬗱, 𫤳, 𣝖
* 𫖼, 𩗂, 𠅍, 𤿖, 𬑉, 𡘮, 𣖢, 𩈘, 𩑷, 𩿣, 𣞄, 㭆, 㭐, 茉, 𥬎, 𪜑, 唜, 𬰠

#### Descendants

* ま
* マ

#### References

* Kangxi Dictionary: page 509, character 6
* Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 14420
* Dae Jaweon: page 891, character 1
* Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 2, page 1150, character 2
* Unihan data for U+672B

## Chinese
### Glyph origin

Historical forms of the character 末 :
| Western Zhou | Shuowen Jiezi (compiled in Han) | Liushutong (compiled in Ming) |
| Bronze inscriptions | Small seal script | Transcribed ancient scripts |
| | Old Chinese |
| 眛 | *maːds, *mɯːds |
| 沬 | *maːds, *hmɯːds, *mɯds |
| 佅 | *mraːds |
| 韎 | *mreːds, *maːd |
| 帓 | *mraːd |
| 粖 | *meːd, *maːd |
| 末 | *maːd |
| 昩 | *maːd |
| 秣 | *maːd |
| 靺 | *maːd |
| 眜 | *maːd |
| 抹 | *maːd |
| 妺 | *maːd |
| 怽 | *maːd |
| 沫 | *maːd |
| 袜 | *maːd |
Ideogram (指事) : a tree (木) with its top highlighted with an extra stroke, implying the meaning of “apex”; contrast 本, 朱.

### Etymology 1
#### Pronunciation

* Mandarin
    (Pinyin): mò (mo$^4$)
    (Zhuyin): ㄇㄛˋ
* Cantonese (Jyutping): mut$^6$
* Hakka
    (Sixian, PFS): ma̍t
    (Meixian, Guangdong): mad$^6$
* Northern Min (KCR): muòi / mŏ̤
* Eastern Min (BUC): muăk
* Puxian Min (Pouseng Ping'ing): pue$^2$ / buah$^7$ / buoh$^7$
* Southern Min
    (Hokkien, POJ): boa̍h / boa̍t
    (Teochew, Peng'im): bhuah$^8$ / muêg$^8$ / muag$^8$
* Wu (Northern, Wugniu): $^8$meq / $^8$moq
* Mandarin
** (Standard Chinese)
*** Hanyu Pinyin: mò
*** Zhuyin: ㄇㄛˋ
*** Tongyong Pinyin: mò
*** Wade–Giles: mo$^4$
*** Yale: mwò
*** Gwoyeu Romatzyh: moh
*** Palladius: мо (mo)
*** Sinological IPA : /mu̯ɔ⁵¹/
** (Standard Chinese, erhua-ed) (末兒 / 末儿)
*** Hanyu Pinyin: mòr
*** Zhuyin: ㄇㄛˋㄦ
*** Tongyong Pinyin: mòr
*** Wade–Giles: mo$^4$-ʼrh
*** Yale: mòr
*** Gwoyeu Romatzyh: moll
*** Palladius: мор (mor)
*** Sinological IPA : /mu̯ɔɻ⁵¹/
* Cantonese
** (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)
*** Jyutping: mut$^6$
*** Yale: muht
*** Cantonese Pinyin: mut$^9$
*** Guangdong Romanization: mud$^6$
*** Sinological IPA : /muːt̚²/
* Hakka
** (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Neipu)
*** Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: ma̍t
*** Hakka Romanization System: mad
*** Hagfa Pinyim: mad$^6$
*** Sinological IPA: /mat̚⁵/
** (Meixian)
*** Guangdong: mad$^6$
*** Sinological IPA: /mat̚⁵/
* Northern Min
** (Jian'ou)
*** Kienning Colloquial Romanized: muòi / mŏ̤
*** Sinological IPA : /muɛ⁴²/, /mɔ²⁴/
* Eastern Min
** (Fuzhou)
*** Bàng-uâ-cê: muăk
*** Sinological IPA : /muaʔ⁵/
* Puxian Min
** (Putian, Xianyou)
*** Pouseng Ping'ing: pue$^2$
*** Sinological IPA : /pʰuei¹³/
** (Putian)
*** Pouseng Ping'ing: buah$^7$
*** Sinological IPA : /puaʔ⁴/
** (Xianyou)
*** Pouseng Ping'ing: buoh$^7$
*** Sinological IPA : /puoʔ²⁴/
* pue2 - vernacular;
* buah7/buoh7 - literary.
* Dialectal data
| Variety | Location | edit末 |
| Mandarin | Beijing | /mo⁵¹/ |
| Mandarin | Harbin | /mɤ⁵³/ |
| Mandarin | Tianjin | /mo⁵³/ |
| Mandarin | Jinan | /mə²¹/ |
| Mandarin | Qingdao | /mə⁴²/ |
| Mandarin | Zhengzhou | /mo²⁴/ |
| Mandarin | Xi'an | /mo²¹/ |
| Mandarin | Xining | /mɔ⁴⁴/ |
| Mandarin | Yinchuan | /muə¹³/ |
| Mandarin | Lanzhou | /mə¹³/ ～尾 /mə⁴⁴²/ ～～子 |
| Mandarin | Ürümqi | /mɤ²¹³/ |
| Mandarin | Wuhan | /mo²¹³/ |
| Mandarin | Chengdu | /mo³¹/ |
| Mandarin | Guiyang | /mo²¹/ |
| Mandarin | Kunming | /mo³¹/ |
| Mandarin | Nanjing | /moʔ⁵/ |
| Mandarin | Hefei | /mɐʔ⁵/ |
| Jin | Taiyuan | /maʔ²/ |
| Jin | Pingyao | /mʌʔ⁵³/ |
| Jin | Hohhot | /maʔ⁴³/ |
| Wu | Shanghai | /məʔ¹/ |
| Wu | Suzhou | /məʔ³/ |
| Wu | Hangzhou | /moʔ²/ |
| Wu | Wenzhou | /mø²¹³/ |
| Hui | Shexian | /mɔ²²/ |
| Hui | Tunxi | /mo¹¹/ |
| Xiang | Changsha | /mo²⁴/ |
| Xiang | Xiangtan | /mo²⁴/ |
| Gan | Nanchang | /mɵʔ⁵/ |
| Hakka | Meixian | /mat̚⁵/ |
| Hakka | Taoyuan | /mɑt̚⁵⁵/ |
| Cantonese | Guangzhou | /mut̚²/ |
| Cantonese | Nanning | /mut̚²²/ |
| Cantonese | Hong Kong | /mut̚²/ |
| Min | Xiamen (Hokkien) | /buat̚⁵/ /buaʔ⁵/ |
| Min | Fuzhou (Eastern Min) | /muaʔ⁵/ |
| Min | Jian'ou (Northern Min) | /muɛ⁴²/ |
| Min | Shantou (Teochew) | /muak̚⁵/ /buaʔ⁵/ |
| Min | Haikou (Hainanese) | /muak̚⁵/ /muak̚³/ |
* Middle Chinese: mat
Rime :
| Character | 末 |
| Reading # | 1/1 |
| Initial (聲) | 明 (4) |
| Final (韻) | 末 (64) |
| Tone (調) | Checked (Ø) |
| Openness (開合) | Closed |
| Division (等) | I |
| Fanqie | 莫撥切 |
| Baxter | mat |
| Reconstructions ||
| Zhengzhang Shangfang | /muɑt̚/ |
| Pan Wuyun | /mʷɑt̚/ |
| Shao Rongfen | /muɑt̚/ |
| Edwin Pulleyblank | /mwat̚/ |
| Li Rong | /muɑt̚/ |
| Wang Li | /muɑt̚/ |
| Bernhard Karlgren | /muɑt̚/ |
| Expected Mandarin Reflex | mò |
| Expected Cantonese Reflex | mut$^6$ |
* Old Chinese
    (Baxter–Sagart): /*mˤat/
    (Zhengzhang): /*maːd/
Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014) :
| Character | 末 |
| Reading # | 1/1 |
| Modern Beijing (Pinyin) | mò |
| Middle Chinese | ‹ mat › |
| Old Chinese | /*mˁat/ |
| English | end of a branch |
| Notes for Old Chinese notations in the Baxter–Sagart system: * Parentheses "" indicate uncertain presence; * Square brackets "" indicate uncertain identity, e.g. *[t] as coda may in fact be *-t or *-p; * Angle brackets "<>" indicate infix; * Hyphen "-" indicates morpheme boundary; * Period "." indicates syllable boundary. ||
Zhengzhang system (2003) :
| Character | 末 |
| Reading # | 1/1 |
| No. | 9223 |
| Phonetic component | 末 |
| Rime group | 月 |
| Rime subdivision | 1 |
| Corresponding MC rime | 末 |
| Old Chinese | /*maːd/ |

#### Definitions

末
* tip; treetop
    末梢 ― mòshāo ― tip; end
    From: Mencius, c. 4th century BCE, translated based on James Legge's version
    Míng zúyǐ chá qiūháo zhī mò, ér bùjiàn yúxīn. [Pinyin]
    [M]y eyesight is sharp enough to examine the point of an autumn hair, but I do not see a cart-load of firewood.
* (by extension) effect; result
    本末 ― běnmò ― cause and effect
* late or the last stage; conclusion; close
    Antonyms: 首 (shǒu), 初 (chū), 始 (shǐ)
    月末 ― yuèmò ― month-end
    明末清初 ― Míng mò Qīng chū ― late-Ming and early-Qing era
    文末提到 ― wén mò tídào ― Toward the end of the article, it was mentioned…
* final; the last; concluding; closing; terminal
    Antonyms: 首 (shǒu), 初 (chū), 始 (shǐ)
    末代 ― mòdài ― the last (in one's lineage)
    末日 ― mòrì ― doomsday; apocalypse
    末法時期／末法时期 ― mò fǎ shíqī ― Dharma-ending age
* insignificant; trivial; inferior; low-priority; low-class
    捨本逐末／舍本逐末 ― shěběnzhúmò ― pursuing the unimportant while neglecting the essential
    From: Commentary of Gongyang, c. 206 BCE– 9 CE
    Cǐ dàhuì yě, héwèi mò yán ěr? [Pinyin]
    This was an important convention; why was it framed with words suggesting insignificance?
* powder; fine particulate matter
    粉末 ― fěnmò ― powder
* (literary, dated) not; none; no (negative indicator)
    Synonyms: 未 (wèi), 莫, 無 / 无
    From: The Analects of Confucius, c. 475 – 221 BCE, translated based on James Legge's version
    Suī yù cóng zhī, mò yóu yě yǐ. [Pinyin]
    Though I wish to follow and lay hold of it, I really find no way to do so.
    From: The Analects of Confucius, c. 475 – 221 BCE, translated based on James Legge's version
    Zǐyuē: “Bù yuē ‘rúzhīhé rúzhīhé’ zhě, wú mò rúzhīhé yě yǐ yǐ.” [Pinyin]
    The Master said, "When a man is not in the habit of saying, 'What shall I think of this? What shall I think of this?' I can indeed do nothing with him."
    From: Commentary of Gongyang, c. 206 BCE– 9 CE
    Mò bùyì lèhū Yáoshùn zhī zhī Jūnzǐ yě? [Pinyin]
    Is it not (literally, a double negative) also a joyful truth, that the ancient sages like Yao and Shun had known that a Noble One would go on to keep their teachings alive?
* mo (a category of male roles in traditional Chinese theatre and opera)

#### Compounds

* 三梢末尾
* 且末
* 世界末日 (shìjiè mòrì)
* 世紀末 / 世纪末 (shìjìmò)
* 么末
* 凶終隙末
* 切末
* 副末
* 務本抑末 / 务本抑末
* 卑末
* 去本就末
* 四末
* 外末
* 天末
* 天末涼風 / 天末凉风
* 始末 (shǐmò)
* 姻末
* 封胡羯末
* 封胡遏末
* 小末
* 岑樓齊末 / 岑楼齐末
* 崇本抑末
* 底末
* 弩末
* 強弩之末 / 强弩之末 (qiángnǔzhīmò)
* 彊弩之末 / 强弩之末 (qiángnǔzhīmò)
* 彊本弱末 / 强本弱末
* 微末
* 忝在愛末 / 忝在爱末
* 捨本逐末 / 舍本逐末 (shěběnzhúmò)
* 損本逐末 / 损本逐末
* 敬陪末坐
* 敬陪末座
* 晚節末路 / 晚节末路
* 月末 (yuèmò)
* 期末考 (qīmòkǎo)
* 末上
* 末世 (mòshì)
* 末世論 / 末世论 (mòshìlùn)
* 末了 (mòliǎo)
* 末事
* 末代 (mòdài)
* 末代皇帝
* 末伏
* 末作
* 末位 (mòwèi)
* 末俗 (mòsú)
* 末光
* 末兒 / 末儿 (mòr)
* 本同末異 / 本同末异
* 末命
* 末堂
* 末大不掉
* 末大必折
* 末奈何
* 末如之何
* 末娘
* 末子 (mòzi)
* 末子堆
* 末學 / 末学 (mòxué)
* 末學膚受 / 末学肤受
* 末官
* 末尾 (mòwěi)
* 末尾三梢
* 末尾三稍
* 末席
* 末年 (mònián)
* 末座
* 末後 / 末后 (mòhòu)
* 末技
* 末日 (mòrì)
* 末期 (mòqī)
* 本末 (běnmò)
* 本末不稱 / 本末不称
* 末末了
* 本末倒置 (běnmòdàozhì)
* 本末有序
* 本末舛逆
* 本末顛倒 / 本末颠倒 (běnmòdiāndǎo)
* 末杪年
* 末梢 (mòshāo)
* 末梢神經 / 末梢神经
* 末梢頭 / 末梢头
* 末民
* 末法
* 末泥
* 末流 (mòliú)
* 末浪
* 末班車 / 末班车 (mòbānchē)
* 末異 / 末异
* 末疾
* 末站
* 末端 (mòduān)
* 末等
* 末節 / 末节 (mòjié)
* 末節細行 / 末节细行
* 末耐何
* 末腳 / 末脚
* 末臣
* 末著
* 末葉 / 末叶 (mòyè)
* 末藝 / 末艺 (mòyì)
* 末行
* 末議 / 末议
* 末路 (mòlù)
* 末路之難 / 末路之难
* 末路人
* 末路窮途 / 末路穷途
* 末躬
* 末造 (mòzào)
* 末過 / 末过
* 末那
* 末項 / 末项 (mòxiàng)
* 桑榆末景
* 棄本逐末 / 弃本逐末
* 正末
* 歲末 / 岁末 (suìmò)
* 殘燈末廟 / 残灯末庙
* 毫末
* 毫末之利
* 沖末 / 冲末
* 浮末
* 煤末
* 片長末技 / 片长末技
* 眇天末
* 砌末
* 研末
* 磨末器
* 神經末梢 / 神经末梢 (shénjīng mòshāo)
* 秋毫之末
* 窮途末路 / 穷途末路 (qióngtúmòlù)
* 篤篤末末 / 笃笃末末
* 粉末 (fěnmò)
* 細微末節 / 细微末节 (xìwēimòjié)
* 終末 / 终末 (zhōngmò)
* 細枝末節 / 细枝末节 (xìzhīmòjié)
* 結末 / 结末 (jiémò)
* 繁文末節 / 繁文末节
* 背本爭末 / 背本争末
* 背本趨末 / 背本趋末
* 舍本事末
* 舍本問末 / 舍本问末
* 芥末
* 英雄末路
* 茶末
* 茶葉末 / 茶叶末
* 莩末
* 落末
* 葭莩之末
* 藥末 / 药末 (yàomò)
* 蘋末 / 𬞟末
* 蘭花末兒 / 兰花末儿
* 起末
* 趨末背本 / 趋末背本
* 逐末
* 逐末捨本 / 逐末舍本
* 週末 / 周末 (zhōumò)
* 週末效應 / 周末效应
* 那末 (nàme)
* 醜末 / 丑末
* 錐刀之末 / 锥刀之末
* 鋸末 / 锯末 (jùmò)
* 頭上末下 / 头上末下
* 顛末 / 颠末 (diānmò)
* 高末兒 / 高末儿
* 麥末 / 麦末

### Etymology 2
#### Pronunciation 1

* Mandarin
    (Pinyin): me (me$^5$／me$^0$)
    (Zhuyin): ˙ㄇㄜ
* Mandarin
** (Standard Chinese)
*** Hanyu Pinyin: me
*** Zhuyin: ˙ㄇㄜ
*** Tongyong Pinyin: me̊
*** Wade–Giles: mê$^5$
*** Yale: me
*** Gwoyeu Romatzyh: .me
*** Palladius: мэ (mɛ)
*** Sinological IPA : /mə/
* Dialectal data
| Variety | Location | edit末 |
| Mandarin | Beijing | /mo⁵¹/ |
| Mandarin | Harbin | /mɤ⁵³/ |
| Mandarin | Tianjin | /mo⁵³/ |
| Mandarin | Jinan | /mə²¹/ |
| Mandarin | Qingdao | /mə⁴²/ |
| Mandarin | Zhengzhou | /mo²⁴/ |
| Mandarin | Xi'an | /mo²¹/ |
| Mandarin | Xining | /mɔ⁴⁴/ |
| Mandarin | Yinchuan | /muə¹³/ |
| Mandarin | Lanzhou | /mə¹³/ ～尾 /mə⁴⁴²/ ～～子 |
| Mandarin | Ürümqi | /mɤ²¹³/ |
| Mandarin | Wuhan | /mo²¹³/ |
| Mandarin | Chengdu | /mo³¹/ |
| Mandarin | Guiyang | /mo²¹/ |
| Mandarin | Kunming | /mo³¹/ |
| Mandarin | Nanjing | /moʔ⁵/ |
| Mandarin | Hefei | /mɐʔ⁵/ |
| Jin | Taiyuan | /maʔ²/ |
| Jin | Pingyao | /mʌʔ⁵³/ |
| Jin | Hohhot | /maʔ⁴³/ |
| Wu | Shanghai | /məʔ¹/ |
| Wu | Suzhou | /məʔ³/ |
| Wu | Hangzhou | /moʔ²/ |
| Wu | Wenzhou | /mø²¹³/ |
| Hui | Shexian | /mɔ²²/ |
| Hui | Tunxi | /mo¹¹/ |
| Xiang | Changsha | /mo²⁴/ |
| Xiang | Xiangtan | /mo²⁴/ |
| Gan | Nanchang | /mɵʔ⁵/ |
| Hakka | Meixian | /mat̚⁵/ |
| Hakka | Taoyuan | /mɑt̚⁵⁵/ |
| Cantonese | Guangzhou | /mut̚²/ |
| Cantonese | Nanning | /mut̚²²/ |
| Cantonese | Hong Kong | /mut̚²/ |
| Min | Xiamen (Hokkien) | /buat̚⁵/ /buaʔ⁵/ |
| Min | Fuzhou (Eastern Min) | /muaʔ⁵/ |
| Min | Jian'ou (Northern Min) | /muɛ⁴²/ |
| Min | Shantou (Teochew) | /muak̚⁵/ /buaʔ⁵/ |
| Min | Haikou (Hainanese) | /muak̚⁵/ /muak̚³/ |

##### Definitions

末
* Same as 麼／么 (me).

#### Pronunciation 2

* Wu (Shanghai, Wugniu): $^0$meq
* Wu
** (Northern: Shanghai)
*** Wugniu: $^0$meq
*** MiniDict: meh
*** Wiktionary Romanisation (Shanghai): $^0$meq
*** Sinological IPA (Shanghai): /məʔ/

##### Definitions

末 (Northern Wu)
* Used to mark a conditional subordinate clause.
       $^5$iau-zy $^6$non $^7$iq-ka-deu $^6$nau-veq-tau-meq $^5$ciau-gheq $^6$gnin $^6$le $^1$paon-maon [Wugniu]
       If you can’t carry it on your own, ask for someone to help.
       From: 2007, Qian Nairong, 上海话大词典, page 309
       $^6$non $^8$veq-chi $^1$su-tseu-meq $^5$iau $^5$kau-su $^6$ngu $^7$iq-san [Wugniu]
       If you're not going to Suzhou, let me know.
* Used to mark the topic in a topic-comment construction.
       From: 2007, Qian Nairong, 上海话大词典, page 309
       $^1$shi-i-zaon-meq $^6$ngu $^5$i-cin $^6$ma-leq $^6$lian-ci [Wugniu]
       As for the new clothes, I've already bought two of them.

## Japanese
### Kanji

(Fourth grade kyōiku kanji)
* tip, top
* end, terminal

#### Readings

* Go-on: まっ (ma')、まつ (matsu, Jōyō)
* Kan-on: ばつ (batsu, Jōyō)
* Kun: うら (ura, 末)、うれ (ure, 末)、おわり (owari, 末わり)、すえ (sue, 末, Jōyō)

#### Compounds

* 末(まっ)期(き) (makki)
* 末(まっ)社(しゃ) (massha)
* 末(まっ)梢(しょう) (masshō)
* 末(まつ)代(だい) (matsudai)
* 末(まっ)端(たん) (mattan)
* 末(まつ)尾(び) (matsubi)
* 結(けつ)末(まつ) (ketsumatsu)
* 始(し)末(まつ) (shimatsu): circumstances; beginning and end; settlement, disposal
* 週(しゅう)末(まつ) (shūmatsu): weekend
* 本(ほん)末(まつ) (honmatsu)

### Etymology 1

* Kanji in this term
* 末
* すえ Grade: 4
* kun'yomi
From Old Japanese. First attested in the Kojiki of 712.

#### Pronunciation

* (Tokyo) すえ [sùé] (Heiban – [0])
* IPA: [sɨe̞]

#### Noun

末(すえ) • (sue)
* [from 720] the tip or top of a plant
** a twig or shoot
    Synonym: 枝先 (edasaki)
** a treetop
    Synonym: 梢 (kozue)
* [from 712] the tip or end of something
    Synonyms: 先 (saki), 先端 (sentan)
* [from 720] the top or peak of a mountain
    Synonyms: 頂 (itadaki), 山頂 (sanchō)
* [from 1205] the edge or verge of a road or field
    Synonym: 外れ (hazure)
* [from early 1000s] a descendant
    Synonyms: 足末 (anasue), 子孫 (shison)
* [from 720] the future, later, after
    Synonyms: (future) 未来 (mirai), (future) 将来 (shōrai), (later) 後 (nochi)
* [from early 800s] the end of a period of time
    Synonyms: 終わり (owari), 末期 (makki)
* [from early 1000s] (by extension) old age, the end period of a lifetime
    Synonym: 晩年 (bannen, literally “evening years”)
* [from 1435] (by extension) a degraded world, a world with low morals and corrupt politics
    Synonym: 末の世 (sue no yo)
* [from late 1500s] the end of a month, the latter third of a month
    Synonym: 下旬 (gejun)
* [from early 1000s] some time considerably later
* [from early 1000s] the result, outcome, or trace, remains of something having been done
    Synonyms: (result) 結果 (kekka), 名残 (nagori, “trace, remains”)
    思(おも)い悩(なや)んだ末(すえ)
       omoinayanda sue
       at the end of deliberation
* [from 1120] the direction in which someone has gone or will go
    Synonym: 方向 (hōkō)
* [from early 1000s] the youngest or last child
    Synonym: 末子 (sueko)
* [from early 1000s] youth, childhood
    Synonym: 幼少 (yōshō)
* [from early 1000s] the lowest seat, the seat at the foot of a table; the lowest rank
    Synonyms: 末座 (matsuza), 末席 (masseki), 下座 (shimoza)
* [from early 900s] the last two seven-mora stanzas or lines of a 短歌 (tanka) poem
    Synonyms: 下の句 (shimo no ku), 下句 (shimoku)
* [from early 1000s] the end of a sentence or word
    Synonyms: (of a sentence) 文末 (bunmatsu), (of a word) 語尾 (gobi)
* [from mid-1000s] the latter portion of a book or serial
    Synonym: 後編 (kōhen)
* [from 1182] the origin, the starting point
    Synonyms: (origin) 元 (moto), (starting point) 起点 (kiten)
* [from 1435] (historical) the interior rooms of a palace or manor where maids worked; a maid who worked in such a household
    Synonym: 御末 (osue)
* [from 1682] a low class or grade; an item of low class or grade
    Synonyms: (low class or grade) 下級 (kakyū), (item of low class or grade) 下級品 (kakyūhin), (low class or grade) 下等 (katō), (item of low class or grade) 下等品 (katōhin)
* [unknown] something minor, a trifle
* [from 1179] downstream
    Synonyms: 川下 (kawashita), 下流 (karyū)
* [from late 800s] (kagura, music) in a 神楽 (kagura) performance, the seats on the right side facing the altar or shrine; the performers playing in these seats
    Synonym: 末方 (suekata)

### Etymology 2

* Kanji in this term
* 末
* うら Grade: 4
* kun'yomi
From Old Japanese. First attested in the Man'yōshū completed in 759.

#### Pronunciation

* IPA: [ɯ̟ɾa̠]

#### Noun

末(うら) • (ura)
* [from 759] (archaic) the tip or top of a plant
** a twig or shoot
    Synonym: 枝先 (edasaki)
** a treetop
    Synonym: 梢 (kozue)
* [from late 1500s] (archaic) the tip or end of something
    Synonyms: 末 (sue), 先 (saki), 先端 (sentan)

### Etymology 3

* Kanji in this term
* 末
* うれ Grade: 4
* kun'yomi
From Old Japanese. First attested in the Man'yōshū completed in 759.

#### Pronunciation

* IPA: [ɯ̟ɾe̞]

#### Noun

末(うれ) • (ure)
* [from 759] (archaic) the tip or top of a plant
** a twig or shoot
    Synonym: 枝先 (edasaki)
** a treetop
    Synonym: 梢 (kozue)

### Etymology 4

* Kanji in this term
* 末
* まつ Grade: 4
* goon
From Middle Chinese 末 (MC mat).
First attested in Japanese in 1120.

#### Noun

末(まつ) • (matsu)
* [from 1120] powder
    Synonyms: 粉 (kona), 粉末 (funmatsu)
* [from 1804] (theater) in traditional Chinese theater, an extra, a minor part
    Synonym: (extra or minor part in any theatrical tradition) 端役 (hayaku)

#### Suffix

末(まつ) • (-matsu)
* [from at least 1911] the end of a period of time

### See also

* Appendix:Gikun_Usage_in_Meiji_Version_of_Japanese_Bible/苗裔

### References

* 1 2 3 4 Shōgaku Tosho (1988) 国語大辞典（新装版） [Unabridged Dictionary of Japanese (Revised Edition)] (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan, →ISBN
* ↑ Matsumura, Akira, editor (2006), 大辞林 [Daijirin] (in Japanese), Third edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN
* ↑ NHK Broadcasting Culture Research Institute, editor (1998), NHK日本語発音アクセント辞典 [NHK Japanese Pronunciation Accent Dictionary] (in Japanese), Tokyo: NHK Publishing, Inc., →ISBN
* ↑ Kindaichi, Kyōsuke et al., editors (1997), 新明解国語辞典 [Shin Meikai Kokugo Jiten] (in Japanese), Fifth edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN

## Korean
### Hanja

末 (eumhun 끝 말 (kkeut mal))
* (끝): the end, last, low
* (가루): flour, powder
* (허드레): something coarse, improper, inferior, trivial
** 1431: 鄕藥採取月令 十二月 (향약채취월령 십이월, hyang-yag-chaechwi-wolryeong sib-iwol):
    芰實鄕名末栗'"`UNIQ-ref00000058QINU`"' '"`UNIQ-ref00000059QINU`"' (기실향명말밤, gisilhyangmyeongmalbam, "The folk name of the water caltrop fruit is coarse chestnut.")(please add an English translation of this quotation)

#### Compounds
##### end, last

* 末端 (말단, maldan)
* 末年 (말년, malnyeon)
* 年末 (연말, yeonmal)
* 終末 (종말, jongmal)
* 期末 (기말, kimal)

##### flour, powder

* 紛末 (분말, bunmal)

##### something coarse

* 末栗 (말밤, malbam)

### References

* ↑ This was authored by several scholars at the direction of King Sejong of Yi Dynasty, concerning the folk medical herb gathering by month.
* ↑ Meaning "water caltrop, (also implausibly) water chestnut." Another likely literal reading is malryul.

## Vietnamese
### Han character

末: Hán Nôm readings: mạt, mất, mặt, mết, mệt, mượt
* This term needs a translation to English. Please help out and add a translation, then remove the text {{rfdef}}.